Inside

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Inside, a game that clearly favors high refresh rates over raw graphical fidelity. The data shows this combo ranks in the 48.6th percentile (1806 out of 3716 tested combinations), placing it squarely in the upper half of all tested systems, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions and settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Inside at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 76 FPS. Even at Ultra settings, it maintains an average of 72 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, placing it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE, which scores 27712, making the i5 just 0.3% faster. It is also effectively tied with the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872, -0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896, -0.3%).

Q: What is the performance difference between the RX 6700 XT and the RTX 3090 in general GPU benchmarks?

A: The RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 27425, while the RTX 3090 scores 27565. This puts the RTX 3090 only 0.5% ahead, making the performance gap negligible in the database's aggregate testing.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average is 337 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system is heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions, as the GPU is capable of far more frames than the monitor can likely display.

Q: Is there a significant difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the difference is noticeable. At 2560x1440, High settings yield an average of 121 FPS, while Ultra drops to 115 FPS. This 6 FPS difference is minor, but it shows Ultra is slightly more demanding without a major visual payoff in this title.

*Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM on the GPU become a limiting factor in Inside?*

A: No, based on the measured data. The game is not VRAM-intensive; even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS remains at 72. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s and 12 GB capacity are more than sufficient for this puzzle platformer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which are the key frequencies that determine how quickly it can process game logic and draw calls. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache is ample for handling the data streams Inside generates.

For a game like Inside, the CPU's single-thread performance is often more critical than multi-threaded muscle. The i5-12600KF scores 1016 in 3dmark_single_thread and 3302 in Cinebench R23 single-core, indicating strong per-core speed. This is crucial for maintaining consistent frame pacing in a 2D side-scroller where the game's physics and animation logic are typically handled by a few primary threads.

However, the CPU also has substantial multi-threaded headroom. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and Passmark multithread score of 27575 show it can handle background tasks and any additional processing the game might offload. The 16 threads ensure that even if Inside is optimized to use multiple cores, the i5-12600KF will not become a bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system hits 337 FPS, which is a clear sign that the CPU is feeding the GPU efficiently without being a limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-12600KF and RX 6700 XT holds the 1806th position out of 3716 tested combos in Inside. This places the system in the top half of all configurations, which is a strong showing for a mid-range desktop setup. The rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component severely bottlenecks the other.

Looking at the CPU's general percentile (79th for all CPUs) and the GPU's percentile (72nd for all GPUs), the combo's 48.6th percentile in this specific game suggests that Inside is not particularly demanding on either component. The game's 2016 release date means it does not stress modern hardware as much as newer titles. The rank indicates that many higher-end combos (e.g., with RTX 4090s or top-tier i9s) will achieve higher FPS, but the performance gap is likely small in absolute terms due to the game's low requirements.

The data shows that this combo is more than capable of delivering a flawless experience. The rank is not a reflection of poor performance, but rather a measure of how many other systems in the database happen to have more powerful components. For practical purposes, being in the 48.6th percentile means this system outperforms a majority of the tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: performance scales almost linearly with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo is capable of incredibly high frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 337 FPS, while Medium drops to 269 FPS (with a minimum of 229 and maximum of 310). High settings yield 168 FPS, and Ultra still manages a very playable 160 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain excellent. Low settings produce 242 FPS, Medium hits 194 FPS (with a minimum of 165 and maximum of 223), High delivers 121 FPS, and Ultra maintains 115 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is starting to work harder, but the system still has plenty of headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, but the results are still very good. Low settings yield 152 FPS, Medium produces 122 FPS (with a minimum of 103 and maximum of 140), High drops to 76 FPS, and Ultra falls to 72 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that the RX 6700 XT is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at Ultra HD, though users targeting 120+ FPS at 4K will need to stick to Low or Medium settings.

The minimum FPS data, where available, shows that frame pacing is stable. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 229 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 165 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 103 FPS. These minimums indicate that the system avoids significant stutters, providing a consistent experience.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 40 ray tracing cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 2321 MHz, a game clock of 2424 MHz, and a boost clock of 2581 MHz.

The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. For Inside, this memory configuration is overkill. The game's art style and 2D nature do not require massive texture streaming or high-resolution assets. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS is more than sufficient to render the game's environments at any resolution.

The GPU's benchmark scores show it is a solid performer. Its Passmark G3D score of 19786 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2435 indicate strong overall capability. In the context of Inside, the GPU is not stressed, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. Even at 4K Ultra, the 72 FPS average shows the GPU is handling the load without breaking a sweat.

The fact that the RX 6700 XT is End-of-life in terms of production status does not diminish its current performance in this title. The data shows that the GPU is more than adequate for a game of this era, and users will likely be limited by their display's refresh rate rather than the GPU's output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate.

For 1080p users with a 144Hz monitor, High settings (168 FPS) are the best choice, as they offer a significant visual upgrade over Medium (269 FPS) while still exceeding the refresh rate. Ultra (160 FPS) is also viable, but the visual difference between High and Ultra in a game like Inside is often subtle, making High the more efficient option.

For 1440p users with a 144Hz monitor, High settings (121 FPS) are the sweet spot. Medium (194 FPS) provides more headroom, but High delivers a better visual experience while still staying close to the refresh rate target. Ultra (115 FPS) is playable but may not fully saturate a 144Hz panel, so High is recommended for a balance of quality and speed.

For 4K users with a 60Hz display, Ultra settings (72 FPS) are perfectly fine, as they exceed the 60 FPS target. If the user has a 120Hz or higher refresh rate 4K monitor, dropping to Medium (122 FPS) will allow the system to hit that higher threshold, though High (76 FPS) is a good middle ground for those who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate.

In general, the data suggests that Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions, providing consistently high frame rates with stable minimums. The game is not demanding enough to require Low settings on this hardware, so users can confidently use Medium as a baseline and adjust upward if they have a lower refresh rate display.